This is a list of notable

left-handed In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to and causing it to be stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply l ...

musicians who play their instruments naturally. This does not include left-handed people who play (or played) right-handed, such as Joe Perry,

Mark Knopfler Mark Freuder Knopfler OBE (born 12 August 1949) is a British musician. He was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits from 1977 to 1995, and he is the one of the two members who stayed during the band's existence ...

, and

Gary Moore Robert William Gary Moore (4 April 19526 February 2011) was a Northern Irish musician. Over the course of his career, he played in various groups and performed a range of music including blues, blues rock, hard rock, Heavy metal music, heavy ...

Guitarists and bassists

Left-handed people play

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

electric bass The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an electric but with a longer neck and scale leng ...

in one of the following ways: (1) play the instrument truly right-handed, (2) play the instrument truly left-handed, (3) altering a right-handed instrument to play left-handed, or (4) turning a right-handed instrument upside down to pick with the left hand, but not altering the strings – leaving them reversed from the normal order. (The fingering is the same for methods 2 and 3.) Any style of picking with the left hand (

flatpicking Flatpicking (or simply picking) is the technique of striking the strings of a guitar with a pick (also called a plectrum) held between the thumb and one or two fingers. It can be contrasted to fingerstyle guitar, which is playing with indi ...

fingerstyle guitar Fingerstyle guitar is the technique of guitar picking, playing the guitar or bass guitar by plucking the strings directly with the fingertips, fingernails, or picks attached to fingers, as opposed to flatpicking (plucking individual notes with ...

) is considered playing left-handed.

Guitarists

File:Iommi sg guitar.jpg, Tony Iommi's guitar, a custom-made

Gibson SG The Gibson SG is a solid-body electric guitar model introduced by Gibson in 1961, following on from the 1952 Gibson Les Paul. It remains in production today in many variations of the initial design. SG stands for "solid guitar". Origins The S ...

File:Gibson Les Paul 54 Custom.jpg, Jimi Hendrix's

Les Paul Custom The Gibson Les Paul Custom is a higher-end variation of the Gibson Les Paul guitar. It was developed in 1953 after Gibson had introduced the Les Paul model in 1952. History The 1952 Gibson Les Paul was originally made with a mahogany body, a ma ...

– a right-handed guitar with the strings reversed for playing left-handed Image:LeftHandedMartinD28.jpg, A left-handed

Martin D-28 The Martin D-28 is a dreadnought-style acoustic guitar made by C. F. Martin & Company of Nazareth, Pennsylvania. History The Martin D-28 uses a dreadnought design, a naval term adopted and used by many to describe its larger body dimensions, ...

Left-handed with normal stringing

Guitarists in this category pick with their left hand and have the strings in the conventional order for a left-handed player (i.e. the low string on the top side of the neck). They either have true left-handed guitars or have right-handed guitars altered so the strings are correct for a left-handed player. Some guitarists in this category (e.g. Paul McCartney) play both genuine left-handed instruments and right-handed instruments altered for left-handed playing. Changing the strings on a right-handed guitar involves several things. The

nut Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed * Nut (food), a dry and edible fruit or seed, including but not limited to true nuts * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut, NUT or Nuts may also refer to: A ...

of the guitar has to be changed to accommodate the string widths. The

bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...

needs to be changed to make the lower-note (thicker) strings longer than the higher-note (thinner) strings for correct

intonation Intonation may refer to: *Intonation (linguistics), variation of speaking pitch that is not used to distinguish words *Intonation (music), a musician's realization of pitch accuracy, or the pitch accuracy of a musical instrument *Intonation Music ...

. On almost all

acoustic guitars An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked, its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

the bracing is non-symmetrical. On

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external electric Guitar amplifier, sound amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar. It uses one or more pickup (music technology), pickups ...

s altered this way, the controls will be backwards.

=Notable players

* Frank Agnello (

The Fab Faux The Fab Faux is a musical tribute band performing the works of the Beatles (whose members were often known as the "Fab Four"). The group was founded by Will Lee, bassist for ''Late Show with David Letterman'', and features Jimmy Vivino, bandleade ...

) *

Adrian Borland Adrian Kelvin Borland (6 December 1957 – 26 April 1999) was an English singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer, best known as the frontman of post-punk band The Sound (band), The Sound. Following a substantial musical career spanni ...

( The Sound) *

Al McKay Albert Phillip McKay (born February 2, 1948) is an American guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. He is a former member of The Watts 103rd Rhythm Street Band and Earth, Wind & Fire. As a member of EW&F, during 2000, he was inducted into the ...

(

Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (abbreviated as EW&F or EWF) is an American band formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1969. Their music spans multiple genres, including jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling ba ...

) *

Ali Campbell Alistair Ian Campbell (born 15 February 1959) is an English singer and songwriter who was lead singer and co-founder of the British reggae band UB40. UB40 sold more than 70 million records worldwide and toured for 30 years with the original l ...

(ex-

UB40 UB40 are an English reggae band, formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England. The band has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart and has also achieved considerable international success. They have been nominated for the Grammy ...

) *

Anton Cosmo Boston is an American rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1975 by Tom Scholz. The band's core members include multi-instrumentalist, founder and leader Scholz, who played the majority of instruments on the band's 1976 self-titled deb ...

(ex-

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

) *

Atahualpa Yupanqui Atahualpa Yupanqui (; born Héctor Roberto Chavero Aramburu; 31 January 1908 – 23 May 1992) was an Argentine- Spanish singer, songwriter, guitarist, and writer. He is considered one of the most important Argentine folk musicians of the 20th cen ...

Austin Carlile Austin Robert Carlile (born September 27, 1987) is an American singer who achieved prominence as formerly the lead vocalist of Attack Attack! and Of Mice & Men. After leaving Of Mice & Men, he began coaching youth baseball in Costa Rica. A hig ...

(ex-

Attack Attack! Attack Attack may refer to: * Attack Attack! (American band), an American band ''(with one exclamation mark)'' ** ''Attack Attack!'' (album), the American band's second studio album released in 2010 * Attack! Attack! (Welsh band), a Welsh band '' ...

Of Mice & Men ''Of Mice and Men'' is a 1937 novella written by American author John Steinbeck. It describes the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, as they move from place to place in California, searching for ...

) *

Barbara Lynn Barbara Lynn (born Barbara Lynn Ozen, later Barbara Lynn Cumby, January 16, 1942) is an American rhythm and blues and electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. She is best known for her R&B chart-topping hit, " You'll Lose a Good Thing" ( ...

* Barry Winslow (

The Royal Guardsmen The Royal Guardsmen are an American rock band best known for their 1966 hit singles " Snoopy vs. the Red Baron", "The Return of The Red Baron", "Snoopy For President", and the Christmas follow-up " Snoopy's Christmas". History Originally kno ...

) *

Beeb Birtles Gerard Bertelkamp AM (born 28 November 1948), known professionally as Beeb Birtles, is an Australian musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He has been a member of various Australian groups including Zoot (1967–71), Mississippi (1972� ...

(

Little River Band Little River Band (LRB) are a rock band formed in Melbourne, Australia, in March 1975. The band achieved commercial success in both Australia and the United States. They have sold more than 30 million records; six studio albums reached the top ...

) *

Ben Howard Benjamin John Howard (born 24 April 1987) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and composer. His self-released debut extended play (EP) ''Games in the Dark'' (2008) was followed by two more EPs, '' These Waters'' (2009) and '' Old Pine'' ...

Billy Ray Cyrus William Ray Cyrus ( ; born August 25, 1961) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. Having released 16 studio albums and 53 singles since 1992, he is known for his hit single "Achy Breaky Heart", which topped the U.S. Hot Country Songs cha ...

Blake Schwarzenbach Alexander Blake Schwarzenbach (born May 21, 1967) is an American musician. He is the singer and guitarist of the San Francisco based band Jawbreaker (1986–1996; 2017–present), and was also a member of Jets to Brazil (1997–2003), The Thor ...

( Jawbreaker) *

Bryan Harvey Bryan Stanley Harvey (born June 2, 1963) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher who played nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the California Angels of the American League and the Florida Marlins of th ...

(

House of Freaks A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condit ...

) * Calogero (plays guitar and bass left-handed) *

Cesar Rosas Cesar J. Rosas (born September 26, 1954) is a Mexican-American singer, songwriter and guitarist best known as a member of the rock and roll group Los Lobos. Rosas also participates in the Latin supergroup Los Super Seven. Rosas is known for hi ...

(

Los Lobos Los Lobos (, Spanish for "the Wolves") is a Mexican American rock group, rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, zydeco, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional ...

) *

Cheyenne Kimball Cheyenne Nichole Kimball (born July 27, 1990) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and mandolinist. Her debut album, '' The Day Has Come'', was released in July 2006, coinciding with an MTV reality series following her entry into the m ...

Christian Savill Christian Savill (born 6 December 1970) is an English musician best known as the guitarist of the English rock band Slowdive. Early life Born in Bury, Lancashire, Savill did not grow up in a musical family, but influenced by The Smiths (and sp ...

(

Slowdive Slowdive (stylized in lowercase) are an English people, English rock band that formed in Reading, Berkshire, in 1989. The band consists of Neil Halstead (vocals, guitars), Rachel Goswell (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Christian Savill (guitars) ...

) *

Courtney Barnett Courtney Melba Barnett (born 3 November 1987) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and musician. Known for her deadpan singing style and witty, rambling lyrics, she attracted attention with the release of her debut EP ''I've Got a Friend Calle ...

Craig Scanlon Craig Antony Scanlon (born 7 December 1960 in Manchester) is an English guitarist, best known as a member of the Fall between 1979 and 1995. During his tenure he was a stalwart member for 17 albums and co-wrote over 120 of the group's songs; s ...

( The Fall) *

Dave Kilminster David Kilminster (born 25 January 1962) is a British guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, producer and music teacher. He has toured as a sideman with Steven Wilson and Roger Waters. Biography Kilminster began playing piano in childhood, and later ...

(former lefty; originally played left-handed until injury, now exclusively plays right-handed) * Dave King (

Flogging Molly Flogging Molly is an Irish-American seven-piece Celtic punk band formed in Los Angeles in 1997, led by Irish vocalist Dave King, formerly of the hard rock band Fastway. They are signed to their own record label, Borstal Beat Records. Histor ...

) *

Davey von Bohlen Davey von Bohlen (born August 11, 1975) is an Americans, American musician and songwriter. He is best known for serving as lead vocalist and guitarist of the emo band The Promise Ring and also as guitarist and backing vocalist in short-lived cul ...

(

The Promise Ring The Promise Ring was an American rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that is recognized as part of the second wave of emo. Among various other EPs and singles, the band released four studio albums during their initial run: '' 30° Every ...

Cap'n Jazz Cap'n Jazz (sometimes stylised as caP'n Jazz) is an American emo band from Buffalo Grove, Illinois. History Brothers Tim Kinsella and Mike Kinsella formed the band Toe Jam with Victor Villarreal, and Sam Zurick, in 1989, before eventually ...

) *

David Cook David Cook may refer to: Entertainment * David Cook (game designer) (active since 1980s), American game designer for TSR * David Cook (singer) (born 1982), winner of the seventh season of ''American Idol'' ** ''David Cook'' (album) (released 2008) ...

David Reilly David Fitzgerald Reilly (May 5, 1971 – October 16, 2005) was the American singer and songwriting/production partner in the electronic rock band God Lives Underwater (GLU), signed by Rick Rubin to American Recordings in 1993. Life and career Am ...

(

God Lives Underwater God Lives Underwater was an American rock band, formed during 1993 in Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania by vocalist/programmer David Reilly and guitarist/programmer Jeff Turzo. They were later joined by guitarist Andrew McGee and drummer Adam Kar ...

) *

Dickey Lee Royden Dickey Lipscomb (born September 21, 1936), known professionally as Dickey Lee (sometimes misspelled Dickie or Dicky), is an American pop/country singer and songwriter, best known for the 1960s teenage tragedy songs " Patches" and "Laurie ( ...

Eef Barzelay Ifar "Eef" Barzelay (; born May 12, 1970) is an Israeli-American musician. He is the principal songwriter and singer of alternative country band Clem Snide, but has also toured as a solo act, both as a headliner and in support of various artis ...

(

Clem Snide Clem Snide is an alt-country band featuring Eef Barzelay (guitar, vocals), Brendan Fitzpatrick (bass) and Ben Martin (drums). History "Clem Snide" is a character in several novels by William S. Burroughs, including ''Naked Lunch'', '' The Tic ...

) *

Elliot Easton Elliot Easton (born Steinberg, December 18, 1953) is an American musician who is best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the American new wave band the Cars. His melodic guitar solos are an integral part of the band's music. ...

(

The Cars The Cars were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the New wave music, new wave Subculture, scene in the late 1970s, they consisted of Ric Ocasek (rhythm guitar), Benjamin Orr (bass guitar), Elliot Easton (l ...

) * Emma Bale *

Eric Bogle Eric Bogle (born 23 September 1944) is an Australian folk music, folk singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Scotland, he emigrated to Australia at the age of 25 to settle near Adelaide, South Australia. Bogle's songs have covered a variety of to ...

Ernie C Ernie Cunnigan (born June 10, 1959), better known by his stage name Ernie C, is an American musician and record producer, best known as the guitarist of rap metal band Body Count. Early life Cunnigan grew up in Compton, California and attended ...

(

Body Count A body count is the total number of people killed in a particular event. In combat, a body count is often based on the number of confirmed kills, but occasionally only an estimate. Often used in reference to military combat, the term can also r ...

) *

Fyfe Dangerfield Fyfe Antony Dangerfield Hutchins (born 7 July 1980) is an English musician and songwriter, best known as the founding member of the indie rock band Guillemots (band), Guillemots. Early life Born in Moseley, Birmingham, in 1980, he moved to Bro ...

( Guillemots) * Georgina "Georgi" Kay *

Greg Sage Greg Sage (born October 21, 1951) is an American songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist, regarded as an important influence on many punk rock and post-punk artists. Sage is best known as the principal songwriter and vocalist/guitarist of the influ ...

(right-handed, decided to play left-handed with the Wipers) *

Gregor Mackintosh Gregor Mackintosh (born 20 June 1970) is a British guitar player and singer. He is the lead guitarist in the metal band Paradise Lost, which he founded in 1988 together with singer Nick Holmes, rhythm guitarist Aaron Aedy, and bassist Steve Edm ...

(

Paradise Lost ''Paradise Lost'' is an Epic poetry, epic poem in blank verse by the English poet John Milton (1608–1674). The poem concerns the Bible, biblical story of the fall of man: the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan and their ex ...

) *

Gustavo Cordera Gustavo Edgardo Cordera (born September 15, 1961 in Avellaneda, Buenos Aires) is an Argentine rock musician, best known as the ex frontman of the band Bersuit Vergarabat. Biography Cordera's musical career began in 1988, when he was studying co ...

(

Bersuit Vergarabat Bersuit Vergarabat (Commonly referred to as La Bersuit) is an Argentine rock band that formed formally in 1987. History The previous name of the band (from 1987 to May 1989) was ''Henry y la Palangana''. By the end of 1989, the band had chang ...

) *

Hayley Kiyoko Hayley Kiyoko Alcroft (born April 3, 1991) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, and author. As a child model and actress, she appeared in a variety of films, including '' Lemonade Mouth'' (2011), '' Jem and the Holograms'' (2015), '' Insidi ...

Huw Gower Huw Gower is a British guitarist. He was the lead guitarist of The Records from 1978 to 1980, appearing on their debut album ''Shades in Bed'' and hit single "Starry Eyes". After leaving The Records, Gower moved to New York City and played guita ...

(

The Records The Records were an English power pop band formed in 1978. They are best remembered for the hit single and cult favourite "Starry Eyes". Music career The Records formed out of the ashes of the Kursaal Flyers, a pub rock group featuring drumm ...

) *

Ian Fowles Ian Fowles is an American musician, author, and actor, best known as the current guitarist for the Orange County rock band The Aquabats, in which he performs under the stage name and persona of EagleBones Falconhawk (originally Eagle "Bones" Fal ...

(

The Aquabats The Aquabats are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Huntington Beach, California, in 1994. Throughout many fluctuations in the group's line-up, singer Christian Jacobs, the MC Bat Commander and bassist Chad Larson, Crash McLarson have ...

Death By Stereo Death by Stereo (also referred to as D.B.S.) is an American hardcore punk band formed in Orange County, California circa 1998 by frontman Efrem Schulz. They are well known for their energetic performances and intricate guitar work. Their nam ...

) *

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1 ...

Imai Hisashi is a Japanese musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Buck-Tick since 1983. Following the October 2023 death of vocalist Atsushi Sakurai, Imai began sharing lead vocal duties in the band with fe ...

(

Buck-Tick Buck-Tick (stylized as BUCK-TICK) is a Japanese rock band formed in Fujioka, Gunma in 1983. The classic lineup of lead vocalist Atsushi Sakurai, lead guitarist Hisashi Imai, rhythm guitarist Hidehiko Hoshino, bassist Yutaka Higuchi and drum ...

) *

Jay Diggins Jay Diggins (born 17 September 1974) is an English singer-songwriter. He is best known for his work with John ParishLakin, Nick"If you fall from grace..." ''Lancaster Guardian'', Lancaster, 14 June 2013. and for turning down an opportunity to ...

Jeffrey Steele Jeffrey LeVasseur (born August 27, 1961), known as Jeffrey Steele, is an American country music singer and songwriter. Along with recording his own material, Steele has become a prolific Nashville songwriter, having co-written more than 60 hit ...

(formerly of Boy Howdy) *

Jill Barber Jill Barber (born Gillian Grace Barber; February 6, 1980) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Originally associated with the folk-pop genre, she has performed vocal jazz and pop music on her more recent albums.Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...

(wrote right-handed) *

Jo Callis John William "Jo" Callis (born 2 May 1951) is a British musician and songwriter who played guitar with the Edinburgh based punk rock band the Rezillos (under the name Luke Warm) and post-punk band Boots for Dancing, before joining the Human ...

(

The Rezillos The Rezillos are a punk and new wave band formed in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1976. Although emerging at the same time as other bands in the punk rock movement, the Rezillos did not share the nihilism or social commentary of their contemporaries ...

The Human League The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic music, electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their t ...

) *

Joanna Wang Joanna Wang (; born 1 August 1988), is a Taiwanese-American singer-songwriter, daughter of music producer (王治平). Born in Taipei but raised in Los Angeles, California, Wang dropped out from Gabrielino High School when she was 16. Her de ...

Jonathan Butler Jonathan Kenneth Butler (born 10 October 1961) is a South African singer-songwriter and guitarist. His music is often classified as R&B, jazz fusion or worship music. Biography Born and raised in Athlone, Cape Town, South Africa, during apa ...

John Flansburgh John Conant Flansburgh (born May 6, 1960) is an American musician. He is half of the long-standing Brooklyn, New York–based alternative rock duo They Might Be Giants with John Linnell, for which he writes, sings, and plays rhythm guitar. Earl ...

(

They Might Be Giants They Might Be Giants, often abbreviated as TMBG, is an American alternative rock and Children's music, children's band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as ...

) *

Josey Scott Joseph Scott Sappington (born May 3, 1972) is an American musician, best known as the former lead vocalist of the rock band Saliva. In addition to Saliva, Scott co-wrote and performed "Hero" (which was used as one of the theme songs to the 200 ...

(

Saliva Saliva (commonly referred as spit or drool) is an extracellular fluid produced and secreted by salivary glands in the mouth. In humans, saliva is around 99% water, plus electrolytes, mucus, white blood cells, epithelial cells (from which ...

) *

Joyce Jonathan Joyce Jonathan (born 3 November 1989) is a French singer and songwriter. Her first album ''Sur mes gardes'' went gold in May 2010 only five months after its release, and was certified platinum less than a year later. On 23 January 2011 she rece ...

(French pop singer) *

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...

* Mark "Kazzer" Kasprzyk (Redlight King/Solo) *

Klaus Eichstadt Ugly Kid Joe is an American hard rock band from Isla Vista, California, formed in 1989. The band's name spoofs the glam metal band Pretty Boy Floyd's name. To date, Ugly Kid Joe have released five full-length albums, two compilation albums and ...

(

Ugly Kid Joe Ugly Kid Joe is an American hard rock band from Isla Vista, California, formed in 1989. The band's name spoofs the glam metal band Pretty Boy Floyd's name. To date, Ugly Kid Joe have released five full-length albums, two compilation albums and ...

) *

Kurt Cobain Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – ) was an American musician. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and a founding member of the grunge band Nirvana (band), Nirvana. Through his angsty songwriting and anti-establis ...

(

Nirvana Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...

) (wrote right-handed) * Lars Johansson ( Candlemass) * William H. "Lefty" Bates *

Lukas Rossi Lukas Rossi (born December 21, 1976) is a Canadian rock singer, songwriter, musician, and producer. He was the winner of the CBS Television reality series '' Rock Star: Supernova'' – a televised audition contest to become lead singer of the h ...

can play the guitar with either hand. *

Luke Morley Luke Morley (born 19 June 1960 in Camberwell, London, England) is the guitarist, chief songwriter and producer for the hard rock band Thunder from 1989 to present (with a break from 1999–2002, and 2009–2011). Previous to that he was a memb ...

(

Thunder Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...

/ The Union) *

Mac Powell Mac Powell (born Johnny Mac Powell; December 25, 1972), originally from Clanton, Alabama, United States, is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and musician who formed the Christian rock band Third Day with guitarist Mark Lee, with both ...

(

Third Day Third Day was a Christian rock band formed in Marietta, Georgia in 1991. The band was founded by lead singer Mac Powell, guitarist Mark Lee (both of whom were the only constant members) and Billy Wilkins. The band's name is a reference to the ...

) * Maria Taylor (

Azure Ray Azure Ray is an American dream pop duo, consisting of musicians Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor. Formed in Athens, Georgia, in 2001, they later moved to Omaha, Nebraska, and became part of the Saddle Creek Records music scene, which also includ ...

, Little Red Rocket,

Now It's Overhead Now It's Overhead was an indie rock band fronted by singer/songwriter Andy LeMaster and based in Athens, Georgia. Their first album, a self-titled collection of songs LeMaster wrote over a period of two years in the late 1990s, quickly rose from ...

, solo) *

Martin Bramah Martin Beddington (born 18 September 1957 in Manchester),The Fall online – biography

( The Fall/

Blue Orchids Blue Orchids are an English post-punk band formed in Manchester in 1979, when Martin Bramah left The Fall (band), the Fall, after playing on the band's debut album ''Live at the Witch Trials''. Christened by Salford-based punk poet John Cooper ...

) *

Mdou Moctar Mahamadou Souleymane (born 1984), known professionally as Mdou Moctar (also M.dou Mouktar), is a Nigerien guitarist, singer and songwriter who performs modern rock music inspired by Tuareg guitar music. His music first gained attention through a ...

Nicke Andersson Anders Niklas Andersson (born 1 August 1972), also known as Nicke Andersson, is a Swedish musician best known as the singer and guitarist for the rock band The Hellacopters and drummer for the death metal band Entombed (band), Entombed. Besides ...

(

The Hellacopters The Hellacopters are a Swedish garage rock band that was formed in 1994 by Nicke Andersson (vocals and guitar), Andreas Tyrone "Dregen" Svensson (guitar), Kenny Håkansson (bass) and Robert Eriksson (drums). Andersson (sometimes known as Nic ...

, Imperial State Electric) *

Ollie Halsall Peter John "Ollie" Halsall (14 March 1949 – 29 May 1992) was an English guitarist, songwriter, and singer, best known for his role in the Rutles, the bands Patto, Timebox (band), Timebox, and Boxer (band), Boxer, and for his contribution to t ...

Omar Rodríguez-López Omar Alfredo Rodríguez-López (born September 1, 1975) is a Puerto Rican guitarist, songwriter, record producer and filmmaker. He has formed or played in several bands, including The Mars Volta, At the Drive-In, Antemasque, and Bosnian Rainb ...

(

At the Drive-In At the Drive-In was an American post-hardcore band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 1994. The band's most recent line-up consisted of Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals), Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, vocals), Paul Hinojos (bass), Tony Hajjar (drums ...

The Mars Volta The Mars Volta is an American Rock music, rock band formed in 2001. The band's only constant members are Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, producer, direction) and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals, lyrics), whose partnership forms the core of the ban ...

) * Pasi Koskinen ( St. Mucus,

Ajattara Ajattara is a sextet black metal band from Helsinki, Finland, led by Pasi Koskinen (ex Amorphis). They formed in 1996, split up in 2012, and reformed in 2016. They were signed to Spinefarm Records and have released eight albums, their most rece ...

, To Separate the Flesh from the Bones) * Paul Gray (

Slipknot The slip knot is a stopper knot which is easily undone by pulling the tail ( working end). The slip knot is related to the running knot, which will release when the standing end is pulled. Both knots are identical and are composed of a slipp ...

) started out playing right-handed, then changed to left-handed as it was more comfortable being left-handed. *

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

(

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

) first struggled playing right-handed, but then saw a picture of Slim Whitman playing left-handed and realized that he could reverse the guitar, reverse the strings, and pick with the left hand . *

Paul Mullen Paul Mullen may refer to: * Paul Mullen (musician) (born 1982), British musician * Paul Mullen (rugby union) (born 1991), Irish-American rugby union player See also * Paul Mullin (disambiguation) {{hndis, Mullen, Paul ...

(

The Automatic The Automatic (also known as The Automatic Automatic in the U.S.) were a Welsh rock band. The band's final lineup was composed of Robin Hawkins on vocals, bass and synthesisers, James Frost on guitar, synthesisers and backing vocals, Iwan Gri ...

Young Legionnaire Young Legionnaire are a British band formed in 2009. Since 2010, the band's lineup has consisted of founders Paul Mullen (of The Automatic, formerly of yourcodenameis:milo) and Gordon Moakes (formerly of Bloc Party) alongside drummer Dean Pear ...

/ Yourcodenameis:milo) *

Paula Fernandes Paula Fernandes de Souza (; born August 28, 1984, in Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais) is a Brazilian singer-songwriter. She won Latin Grammy Awards for her albums ''Amanhecer'' in 2016 and for ''Origens (Ao Vivo em Sete Lagoas)'' in 2020. Biograph ...

Paulo Furtado Paulo Furtado (born 9 September 1970) is a Portuguese singer-songwriter who performs under the stage name The Legendary Tigerman. He started his music career in the late 1980s when he joined the psychobilly band Tédio Boys. After leaving Tédio ...

(

Wraygunn WrayGunn are a Portuguese band formed in Coimbra, in early 1999. Their music is a mix of rock, soul, gospel and blues. Paulo Furtado (lead guitar and vocals) says their sound is something like Elvis Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 ...

/ The Legendary Tigerman) *

Pernilla Andersson Pernilla Maria Theresa Andersson Dregen ( Andersson; 10 December 1974) is a Swedish singer-songwriter. She is the singing coach for the TV program ''True Talent''. Career Andersson was born in Stockholm but grew up in Hässleholm and Kristi ...

Perry Bamonte Perry Archangelo Bamonte (born 3 September 1960) is an English musician and artist, best known as a guitarist/keyboardist for The Cure from 1990 to 2005, and again since 2022. He is also the bassist of Love Amongst Ruin. Biography Bamonte was ...

(

The Cure The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Crawley in 1976 by Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith (vocals, guitar) and Lol Tolhurst (drums). The band's current line-up comprises Smith, Perry Bamonte (guitar and keyboards), Reev ...

) *

Ragnar Þórhallsson Ragnar "Raggi" Þórhallsson (born 6 March 1987) is an Icelandic musician. He is the lead vocalist and guitarist, along with Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, of the Icelandic indie folk band Of Monsters and Men. Early life Ragnar attended Fjöl ...

(

Of Monsters and Men Of Monsters and Men is an Icelandic indie folk/Folk rock, rock band formed in Garðabær in 2010. It consists of lead singer and guitarist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, singer and guitarist Ragnar Þórhallsson, Ragnar "Raggi" Þórhallsson, ...

) * Rami Yosifov (

Teapacks Teapacks (also known as Tipex) () is an Israeli band that formed in 1988 as HaHotzaa La'Poal (Hebrew: , ''The Execution'') in the southern Israeli city of Sderot. Originally the band was named after the correction fluid Tipp-Ex, but in 1995 th ...

) *

Richie Stotts Richard Eugene Stotts (born 27 October 1953) (better known as Richie Stotts) is a New York City born musician who began writing and performing in a fledgling 1970s NYC band named “The Numbers”. Richie’s songwriting skills and lead guitar ...

(

Plasmatics The Plasmatics were an American punk rock and Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed by Rod Swenson and Wendy O. Williams in New York City in 1978. They were a controversial group known for chaotic, destructive live shows and outrageous thea ...

) * Robin Campbell (

) *

Ronnie Radke Ronald Joseph Radke (; born December 15, 1983) is an American musician, singer, rapper, and songwriter, best known as the current lead singer of rock band Falling in Reverse and the former lead singer of post-hardcore band Escape the Fate. He ro ...

(

Falling in Reverse Falling in Reverse is an American rock music, rock band that formed in 2008 by lead vocalist Ronnie Radke. The band's original name was From Behind These Walls, but it was renamed Falling in Reverse shortly after formation. They are currently s ...

, ex-

Escape the Fate Escape the Fate is an American rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2004. Originally from Pahrump, Nevada, the group currently consists of lead vocalist Craig Mabbitt, guitarists Matti Hoffman, Erik Jensen and drummer Robert Ortiz. Ortiz ...

) *

Santiago Feliú Santiago Vicente Feliú Sierra (March 29, 1962 – February 12, 2014) was a Cuban singer and songwriter. Born in Havana, he became part of the musical movement known as nueva trova, which was the Cuban manifestation of the nueva canción movemen ...

* Shae Dupuy *

Slim Whitman Ottis Dewey "Slim" Whitman Jr. (January 20, 1923 – June 19, 2013) was an American country music singer and guitarist known for his yodeling abilities and his use of falsetto. Recorded figures show 70 million sales, during a career that spanne ...

(was right-handed but played guitar left-handed due to loss of his two fingers on the left hand) *

Stella Parton Stella Mae Parton (born May 4, 1949) is an American Country music, country singer and songwriter widely known for a series of country singles that charted during the mid-to-late-1970s, her biggest hit being "I Want to Hold You in My Dreams Tonig ...

Sylvia Tyson Sylvia Tyson, (''née'' Fricker; born 19 September 1940) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician and broadcaster. She is best known as part of the folk duo Ian & Sylvia, with Ian Tyson. Since 1993, she has been a member of the all-female folk ...

Ted Gärdestad Ted Arnbjörn Gärdestad (; 18 February 195622 June 1997) was a Swedish singer, songwriter, musician and actor known internationally as Ted. Gärdestad began his acting career in 1966 and began playing music in 1971, signing with Polar Music. Ass ...

Ted Sablay Theodore Sablay (born April 18, 1976) is an American musician, musical director and songwriter. He has been a touring guitarist and keyboardist for The Killers since 2006 and musical director for the band's live concerts since 2022. Early life ...

(

The Killers The Killers are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals). After the band went through a number of short-term bas ...

) *Templeton Thompson (female country singer-songwriter) *Tim Armstrong (Rancid (band), Rancid) *Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath) *Toronzo Cannon *Travis Denning *Willie Duncan (Spider Murphy Gang) *Will Glover (The Pyramids (band), The Pyramids) *Verónica Romero *Vicentico *Zacky Vengeance (Avenged Sevenfold; started to play right-handed but then shortly moved to left-handed playing) *Andrew White (musician), Andrew "Whitey" White (Kaiser Chiefs) *Michael Zakarin (The Bravery)

Left-handed with strings backwards

These are left-handed players who play naturally, but with the strings organized to emulate an unaltered right-handed guitar, thus the strings are backwards for a left-handed player. The guitar is held left-handed with the high string on the top side of the neck (e.g. Bob Geldof). Some players in this category (e.g. Dick Dale and Albert King) had left-handed guitars with the strings as on a right-handed guitar, since they had learned to play that way.

=Notable players

*Amber Bain (The Japanese House) *Babyface (musician), Babyface *Dywane Thomas Jr. *Cormac Battle (Kerbdog) *Buddy Miles *Wallis Bird *Doyle Bramhall II *Chase Bryant *Glen Burtnik (Styx (band), Styx/solo) *Eddy Clearwater *Junior Campbell *Michael Card *Jimmy Cliff *Elizabeth Cotten *Dick Dale *Ed Deane *Cheick Hamala Diabate (RH instruments with original stringing and custom LH instruments with backwards stringing) also banjo and ngoni *Lefty Dizz *Eric Gales (naturally right-handed, but plays left-handed. Little Jimmy King, His left-handed brother taught him that way.) *Bob Geldof (The Boomtown Rats) *Jimi Goodwin (Doves (band), Doves) *Ed Harcourt *Benn Jordan *Jacek Kaczmarski *Andy Kerr (musician), Andy Kerr *Albert King *Little Jimmy King *Peter LeMarc *Anika Moa *Rick Moranis *The Royal Guardsmen, Barry Winslow (

) *Morgan (singer), Morgan *Coco Montoya *Malina Moye *Mic Murphy, (The System (band), The System) *Kurt Nilsen (Winner of the World Idol competition after winning the first season of the Norwegian Idol series) *Paul Raymond (musician), Paul Raymond *Nicolas Reyes *Gruff Rhys *Kris Roe (The Ataris) *Jim Rooney (music), Jim Rooney * Doctor Ross, Doctor Isaiah Ross *Otis Rush *Graham Russell (Air Supply) *Lætitia Sadier (McCarthy (band), McCarthy, Monade, Stereolab) *Evie Sands *Seal (musician), Seal *Dan Seals *Bill Staines *Dan Swanö (Bloodbath, Edge of Sanity, Nightingale (band), Nightingale, Ribspreader; plays drums right-handed) *Wayman Tisdale *Dave Wakeling (The Beat (British band), The English Beat, General Public) (right-handed, but learned to play left-handed) *Karl Wallinger (World Party) *Bobby Womack *Melvin Williams (musician), Melvin Williams

Unclassified left-handed players

*Michael Angelo Batio (plays a double-guitar ambidextrously) *Shirlie Holliman (Pepsi & Shirlie) *Jon Oliva *Peter Plate (Rosenstolz) *Emily Robins (The Elephant Princess) *Arif Sağ (plays bağlama left-handed) *John Schumann *Lari White *Wendy Wild *Mick Flannery

Bassists

*Jarkko Ahola (Teräsbetoni/Northern Kings/Raskasta Joulua/solo; plays both guitar and bass with strings backwards) *Martin Eric Ain (Celtic Frost) *Rosemary Butler (singer), Rosemary Butler (Formerly The Daisy Chain (band), The Daisy Chain and Birtha (band), Birtha; now backing and solo vocalist) *Gerald Casale (Devo; plays strings backwards) *Ken Casey (Dropkick Murphys) *Stuart Chatwood (The Tea Party (band), The Tea Party) *Flavio Cianciarulo (Los Fabulosos Cadillacs/De la tierra/solo) plays with strings in correct order, both guitar and bass. *Nick Feldman (Wang Chung (band), Wang Chung) *Gary Fletcher (musician), Gary Fletcher (The Blues Band) *Kathy Foster (musician), Kathy Foster (The Thermals) *Keith Ferguson (musician), Keith Ferguson (The Fabulous Thunderbirds) *Ed Gagliardi (Foreigner (band), Foreigner; naturally right-handed, played left-handed to honour his hero, Paul McCartney) *Jimi Goodwin (Doves (band), Doves; plays both guitar and bass with strings backwards) *Karl Green (Herman's Hermits) * Paul Gray (

) *Jimmy Haslip (Yellowjackets (band), Yellowjackets; plays with strings reversed) *Yoko Hikasa (K-on!, Ho-kago Tea Time; right-handed, but played left-handed) *Colin Hodgkinson (Back Door (jazz trio), Back Door, Whitesnake) *Lee Jackson (bassist), Lee Jackson (The Nice) *Joe Long (Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons) *Alan Longmuir (Bay City Rollers; plays both guitar and bass with strings reversed) *Doug Lubahn *

(

/Wings (band), Wings/solo) plays with strings in correct order, both guitar and bass; plays drums right-handed *Robbie Merrill (Godsmack) actually right-handed, but plays guitar left-handed because of a birth defect that disabled the middle finger of his left hand. *Josh Newton (musician), Josh Newton (Every Time I Die) *Patrick Olive (Hot Chocolate) *Doug Pinnick (King's X) *Lee Pomeroy (plays with strings reversed) *Scott Reeder (bassist), Scott Reeder (Kyuss/The Obsessed/Unida; plays with strings reversed) *Brad Savage (Band from TV) *Danielle Nicole Schnebelen (Trampled Under Foot (band), Trampled Under Foot) *Jeff Schmidt (musician), Jeff Schmidt (Bass Soloist, plays with strings reversed) *Wayman Tisdale (played with strings reversed) *Mark White (bassist), Mark White (Spin Doctors) *Paul Wilson (musician), Paul Wilson (Snow Patrol) *Pete Wright (musician), Pete Wright (Crass) *A. W. Yrjänä (CMX (band), CMX)

Drummers

A drum kit for a left-handed person is set up so that percussion instruments drummers would normally play with their right hand (ride cymbal, floor tom, etc.) are played with the left hand. The bass drum and hi-hat configurations are also set up so that the drummer plays the bass drum with their left foot, and operate the hi-hat (or, if using two bass drums, plays the second bass drum) with their right foot. Some drummers however have been known to play right-handed kits, but play leading with their left hand (e.g. playing open-handed on the hi-hat). This list does not include drummers who are naturally left-handed while playing drums purely right-handed such as Ringo Starr, Stewart Copeland, Dave Lombardo, Travis Barker, Eric Carr, and Chris Adler (drummer), Chris Adler. *

(Entombed (band), Entombed) *Oli Beaudoin (Neuraxis (band), Neuraxis, Kataklysm) *Carter Beauford (Dave Matthews Band) plays on a right-handed drum kit, frequently open-handed. *Rich Beddoe (Finger Eleven) *Jim Bonfanti (Raspberries (band), Raspberries) plays open-handed *Mike Bordin (Ozzy Osbourne, Faith No More) uses a right-handed setup, but with his primary ride cymbal on his left. *Bun E. Carlos (Cheap Trick) alternates between left-handed and right-handed playing *Régine Chassagne (Arcade Fire) plays a right-handed kit, but leads with left hand *Billy Cobham (Miles Davis, Mahavishnu Orchestra, solo), plays a right-handed kit. *Phil Collins (Genesis (band), Genesis, solo) *Scott Columbus (Manowar) *Charles Connor (Little Richard) *Steve Coy (Dead or Alive (band), Dead or Alive) right-handed, but played open-handed on a left-handed kit. *Jonny Cragg (Spacehog) *Joe Daniels (drummer), Joe Daniels (Local H) *Micky Dolenz (The Monkees) right-handed, but plays open-handed on a left-handed kit. *Shawn Drover (Megadeth, Eidolon (band), Eidolon) plays open-handed *Joe English (musician), Joe English (Paul McCartney and Wings) *Joshua Eppard (Coheed and Cambria) right-handed, but plays open-handed *Fenriz (Darkthrone) plays guitar right-handed *Ginger Fish (Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie) *Mike Gibbins (Badfinger) *Zachary Hanson (Hanson (band), Hanson) *Buddy Harman (Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Roy Orbison) *Ian Haugland (Europe (band), Europe) *Steve Hewitt (Placebo (band), Placebo) *Gene Hoglan (Testament (band), Testament) *Dominic Howard (Muse (band), Muse) *Tom Hunting (Exodus (American band), Exodus) *Mark Jackson (musician), Mark Jackson (VNV Nation) *Steve Jansen (Japan (band), Japan, The Dolphin Brothers, Nine Horses) *Mika Karppinen (H.I.M.) plays open-handed *Stan Levey (Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Frank Sinatra) right-handed and plays a complete left-handed kit *Buddy Miles (Band of Gypsys) plays right-handed kit, but leads left-handed *David Milhous (Lippy's Garden) right-handed and plays a complete left-handed kit *Rod Morgenstein (Dixie Dregs, Winger (band), Winger, Jelly Jam, Platypus (band), Platypus) *Steve Negus (Saga (band), Saga) *Jerry Nolan (New York Dolls, The Heartbreakers) *Ian Paice (Deep Purple, Whitesnake) *Pat Pengelly (Bedouin Soundclash) *Slim Jim Phantom (Stray Cats) *Simon Phillips (drummer), Simon Phillips (Toto (band), Toto) plays open-handed *Brett Reed (Rancid (band), Rancid) *Neil Sanderson (Three Days Grace) plays on a right-handed kit, but leads with left hand *Robert Schultzberg (Placebo (band), Placebo) *Al Sobrante (Green Day) *Sebastian Thomson (Baroness (band), Baroness, Trans Am (band), Trans Am, Publicist) *Michael Urbano (Smash Mouth) plays on a right-handed kit, but leads with left hand *Hannes Van Dahl (Sabaton (band), Sabaton) *Joey Waronker (Beck, R.E.M.) *Javier Weyler (Stereophonics) *Fred White (musician), Fred White (

) *Dennis Wilson (The Beach Boys) right-handed, but played open-handed *Eliot Zigmund (Bill Evans, Vince Guaraldi) *Josh Dun (Twenty One Pilots) right-handed, but frequently plays open handed.

Violinists

The violin can be learned in either hand, and most left-handed players hold the violin under the left side of their jaw, the same as right-handed players. This allows all violinists to sit together in an orchestra. *Richard Barth *Paavo Berglund (A well known Finnish left-handed conductor who also played violin, often joining orchestra players for chamber music just for fun. Due to the value of his violin collection he did not want to change his instruments and had trained himself to play left-handed on violins with a standard set-up.) *Charlie Chaplin (wrote right-handed) *Ornette Coleman *Rudolf Kolisch *Ashley MacIsaac

Ukulele

*Tiny Tim (musician), Tiny Tim (played guitar right handed) *Ian Whitcomb

Trumpet

*Sharkey Bonano *Freddie Jenkins, Freddie 'Posey' Jenkins *Wingy Manone *

Trombone

*Slide Hampton

Banjo

*Elizabeth Cotten *Cheick Hamala Diabate *

Mandolin

Bansuri

*Hariprasad Chaurasia, right-handed, started his career playing the bansuri, a side-blown flute, right-handed, and switched to left-handed playing

References

Bibliography

* * * * * *

External links

Left-handed guitarists and drummersFamous Left Handed Guitarists and BassistsVideo about left-handed guitar playing
{{DEFAULTSORT:Musicians who play left-handed Lists of musicians, Left-handed Guitars Handedness